


I Thought You Were a Dream Come True

by abrasivepersonalitytendersoul



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Death, Emotional, F/M, Feels, Funeral, Sadness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-07-11 03:02:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7024855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abrasivepersonalitytendersoul/pseuds/abrasivepersonalitytendersoul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was tough to write.  I pulled some things from my own experiences with my mom's funeral towards the end.  I'm still crying as I am posting this.  Don't take your loved ones for granted.</p>
    </blockquote>





	I Thought You Were a Dream Come True

**Author's Note:**

> This was tough to write. I pulled some things from my own experiences with my mom's funeral towards the end. I'm still crying as I am posting this. Don't take your loved ones for granted.

This wasn’t how you were supposed to spend the day with Mike Dodds in a church. He wasn’t supposed to be waiting at the end of the aisle for you like this. You were supposed to be wearing white, not black. He was supposed to take your hand and be by your side for the rest of your lives. He was supposed to die of old age, not a domestic violence situation. You walked down to the front pews, genuflected, and took your seat next to Dodds Senior. He intimidated you at the beginning of your relationship with Mike, even when you were just friends. He was always mumbling something about better connections and career advancement. Now, he was like a second father to you. He put his arm around you pulled you into a hug as you began to cry for the umpteenth time this week.

The funeral service was a total blur. The members of his squad all shared about working with Mike. They had some touching things to say, but it was pretty obvious they didn’t know much about the man you loved so much. That was partially your fault, but Mike had always tried to keep his personal and professional lives separate. He spoke highly of his coworkers and you wished you could have met them under better circumstances, however he took great care to make sure your worldview wasn’t tainted by risking you overhearing something from a squad get together. You were his silver lining in a dark and gray world.

You stood in the receiving line and greeted those expressing their condolences and saluting your would-be father-in-law. Everything was so formal. You just wanted to crawl back into your bed and cry and pray that this was all a terrible dream and that Mike would wake you up and tell you it was just a nightmare and that he would always be by your side. 

That wasn’t happening.

Ever.

After what seemed like hours, one of the ADAs that worked with Mike and down the hall from you and your boss firmly grasped your hand and pulled you in for a hug, which was so out of character for him, but it was also no secret that he was under a lot of pressure and there were rumors of his life being threatened. He offered a small smile and his open door if she needed some peace and quiet at the office. He mentioned he’s always got coffee brewing and a secret stash of bourbon and scotch if coffee wasn’t enough. You thanked him and he proceeded through the line.

After the final cop came through the line, the pall bearers sat in the back of the church while you and Mike’s family said their final goodbyes. You had never met Mike’s mother and brother and apparently for good reason. William Dodds was the most emotional you had ever seen him. He had kept it together for the funeral and receiving line. He kissed his son’s forehead for the final time and stepped aside for you to say your peace.

There was so much you still needed to say. There was so much you knew he needed to say. That weekend, you were supposed to go to the animal shelter and get a dog. You had so many other things you were supposed to do together. Now none of that was going to happen. You took comfort in knowing Gary Munson was going away for a long time.

You slipped your hand in his cold one. You silently prayed for him to grasp onto you. To tell you this was all a cruel joke. But there was nothing. Just a cold hand attached to the cold shell of a body that once contained the most beautiful soul you had ever met. The soul you were joining yours with.

“Mike, I know you can’t hear me, but I need to say this out loud, and if there is an angel listening, please take my message to Mike,” you began. Your eyes were filling with tears and your voice was catching. “Michael Dodds, I will always love you. I love the life we were going to build. I thought you were a dream come true. You were. You were the best thing that has ever happened to me, and you know how great it was when we got all those tickets at Chuck E. Cheese when we took my nieces and nephews. They have to take you now, Mike, but you will always be with me. I will love you until the end of time and beyond that. See you on the other side, and tell my mother I said hello and that I miss her too.”

You gave him your final kiss and stepped back. The funeral home directors came and closed the casket. It hit you that it was the final time you were going to see his face in person. You cried out and hit the floor. How were you supposed to carry on?


End file.
